How to compare job offers

How do I compare two job offers?

Work out what you keep from each offer once deductions and transport are paid, then divide that by the hours the job really takes, including the trip there and back.

The figure on the advert is only the start of the sum. For each offer, write down the same six things, so you compare like with like:

1. Where the job is. The place you will travel to every day, which may not be the head office.
2. Pay each month. The rand amount in the offer letter.
3. What is taken off. UIF, tax and anything else the offer letter lists. If it does not say, ask. If the advert gives a CTC figure, see the next section.
4. Transport each month. Your taxi, bus or train fare there and back, for every working day in the month.
5. Travel time. How many minutes it takes to get there, one way, at the time you would really leave home.
6. Hours a week. The working hours in the offer, including Saturdays if there are any.

Then take the pay, subtract what is taken off and what transport costs. That is what you keep. Divide it by your working hours plus your travel hours, and you have what each hour of your day is worth in that job.

What is the difference between CTC and take-home pay?

CTC, or cost to company, is everything the employer spends on you, and take-home pay is the smaller amount that lands in your bank account.

Some adverts give a CTC figure. It can include the employer's share of UIF, a pension or provident fund, medical aid or other benefits. None of that is money you can spend at the shop. If one offer gives you CTC and another gives you a monthly salary, you are not comparing the same thing yet.

Ask the employer, politely and in writing if you can: "Could you tell me the gross monthly salary, and what will be deducted from it?" The payslip figure after deductions is the one to compare. Our list of job-hunting words explains CTC, UIF and PAYE in more detail.

Should I take the job that pays more?

Not always: a job that pays more but costs you more in taxi fares and hours on the road can leave you with less, for longer days.

Transport is the cost people most often leave out. A job across town can mean two taxis each way, or a train and a taxi. Add up the fares for a full month of working days, both ways. If the better-paid job's extra transport costs more than its extra pay, it pays you less.

Time counts too. Two and a half hours a day on the road is time you are not paid for, cannot rest in and cannot spend looking for something better or studying. When you divide what you keep by all the hours the job takes from you, the answer can change.

Check each offer against the legal minimum

Before you compare, make sure every offer pays at least what the law says. No job may pay less than the national minimum wage an hour, whatever the contract says.

From 1 March 2026 the national minimum wage is R30.23 an hour. At 45 hours a week that is R1,360.35 a week, or R5,894.40 a month. Some kinds of work have their own, higher minimum. In shops in a larger municipality, for example, a cashier's minimum is R33.44 an hour and a supervisor's is R48.42 an hour.

These figures come from the Government Gazette: Notice R.7083 of 3 February 2026, published in Government Gazette 54075 by the Minister of Employment and Labour, which amends the schedules to the National Minimum Wage Act. They took effect on 1 March 2026 and we last checked them on 15 September 2026. The rates change every March. The monthly figures assume 45 hours a week, so a job with fewer hours can legally pay less a month, but never less an hour.

A learnership is different. You are paid an allowance, not a wage, and it goes up as you earn credits. The same gazette sets it, starting at R455 a week.

What else to weigh up

Money and time are the parts you can count. Some other things are worth asking about before you say yes:

• Is it permanent or a fixed-term contract? A short contract that pays more may leave you job hunting again in a few months.
• Which hours and which days? Late shifts can mean fewer taxis, or a more expensive or less safe trip home.
• Is there training or a way up? A job that teaches you a skill, or has a clear next step, can be worth more over time.
• Is the offer in writing? Ask for the pay, hours and deductions in a letter or contract before you resign from anything or turn the other offer down.

If an offer asks you to pay money upfront for training, a uniform or to "secure" the job, treat it with great care. A real employer pays you, not the other way round.

Questions people ask

Can I ask for more time to decide?

Yes. It is normal to ask for a day or two. Say thank you, say you are keen, and ask by when they need your answer.

Can I tell one employer about the other offer?

You can, if it is true and you would really take either job. Keep it simple: say you have another offer and would prefer to work with them, and ask whether there is anything they can do on pay or start date.

Is UIF taken off my pay?

In most jobs, yes. A small amount for UIF is deducted each month and your employer adds its own share. It is what the Unemployment Insurance Fund pays you from if you lose your job. Your payslip should show it.

Does the Career Office work out my tax?

No. The comparison uses the deductions on your offer letter. Nothing you type into it is saved or sent. You can read how we handle personal information in our privacy notice.